Losing weight is tough

Plug your stats into MFP, tell it you want to lose 1lb per week (with 50lbs to lose, that's a good, safe deficit), and eat the calories it gives you.

Log honestly and accurately. If you don't already own a food scale, get one; grams are more accurate than cups for solids.

Don't feel like you have to cut out foods to lose. Weight loss is all about calories. However:

• A lot of us have those foods that just aren't safe around us. If you can't stick to the serving you want to have of a certain food, you may not want to keep it around for a while. There are some tricks you can use. Like making a pan of brownies, eating one, and freezing the rest for a later time. Or portioning out a big box of snacks into small baggies.
• You may discover that certain foods aren't worth the calories and opt for different choices.
• You're likely to discover that certain foods help you feel fuller for longer. For some people, that's high fat foods. For me, it's protein and fiber.
• Eat a variety of foods to ensure adequate nutrition. You can lose weight on a diet of jellybeans if you're within your calories, but you'll likely be hungry, lethargic, and malnourished. Thing is, the same thing would happen if you ate a diet of kale. But then, most people don't eat only one food. No one food is inherently healthy or unhealthy. It's about the overall diet. (In other words, if 80% of your diet is made up of nutrient-dense foods, you're not hurting anything if you save 20% for treats. And most treats have something going for them in the nutrition department anyway.

You can lose weight without exercise, but exercise does have benefits that shouldn't be disregarded. For example:

• When you log your exercise, MFP gives you more calories. You should eat back at least a portion of these. Keep in mind that when MFP gives you your calorie goal, the deficit is already built in. When you exercise, you increase the deficit. Too large a deficit can be dangerous, plus you need to fuel your workouts.
• Exercise takes up time, which (at least in my case) helps reduce time spent boredom eating.
• Exercise helps relieve stress, which (at least in my case) helps reduce emotional eating.
• Before I started getting into shape, my PMS was a lot worse. Since working my abs, I've noticed reduction in cramps, bloating, and other symptoms.

Cardio and strength training are both important for different reasons. Cardio burns more fat, but strength training helps you hang onto muscle which might otherwise be lost.

There are helpful posts stickied at the top of each forum. Check them out.

Good luck!